Mobile Phone and Students’ Academic Performance

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

In this era of globalization and technological revolution, education is considered as a first step for every human activity. It plays a vital role in the development of human capital and is linked with an individual’s well-being and opportunities for better living (Battle and Lewis, 2002). It ensures the acquisition of knowledge and skills that enable individuals to increase their productivity and improve their quality of life. The quality of students’ performance remains at top priority for educators. It is meant for making a difference locally, regionally, nationally and globally. Educators, trainers, and researchers have long been interested in exploring variables contributing effectively to quality of performance of learners. These variables are inside and outside school that affect students’ quality of academic performance. These factors may be termed as student factors, family factors, school factors and peer fctors (Crosnoe, Johnson and Elder, 2004). Mobile phones have become an almost essential part of daily life since their rapid growth in popularity in Nigeria in 2001. A nationwide survey conducted in 2010 shows that mobile phones are the most necessary medium of communication for adolescents. It has virtually affected the society’s accessibility, security, safety and coordination of business and social activities and has hence become a part of culture of the whole world (Soyemi, Oloruntoba and Okafor, 2015).

According to Rabiu, Mohammed, Umaru and Ahmed (2016), mobile phones are the most necessary medium of communication for adolescents. It has virtually